Living In The Moment

You’ll never know the amount of life you have let fly past you, when your mind is occupied with one thing or the other.

You’ll never know the number of opportunities you’ve let slip from the grasp of your hands when you’re unable to stay focused on one thing at a time.

And you’ll certainly never know the amount of incredible memories you are missing out on because you are too busy trying to fix the impossible, predict the unknown or change the unalterable.

Try to live in the moment.

One thing I wish I did more often while I was in high school was live in the moment. I have no regrets though, as I have already learned from this mistake, but I remember being so caught up in everything going on around me that I failed to actually bask in some of the most precious moments I had with my friends. I obsessed so much over my grades, my performance, sports, and extra curricular activities. I worried about virtually everything possible. I hardly took out enough time to relax, breathe and just enjoy the moment. And even if I did, my brain kept pestering me about something “more important” that I had to do the next minute.

I was engrossed with way too many things that I forgot how fast time was flying, and how close I was to officially saying goodbye to everything.

Now, with a lesson learnt, I am trying to live a life where, regardless of the chaos, the madness, the drama or the busyness, I still try my best to live in every moment.

You should do this too.

Living in the moment basically means putting every thing aside, and just being alive and present in a particular time or place in your life. It is letting go of the worries or the stress, and consciously basking in whatever is going on around you. It’s like putting the rest of life to a halt, to focus on just one thing; one moment.

If you’re on vacation, live in that vacation. Inhale the fresh air. Listen to the wind. Don’t worry about work, don’t worry about your house back home, and don’t worry about your kids. Just live. Even if it’s for a few minutes, let your body relax and take in every bit of that vacation.

Are you taking a break from work? Or a relationship? Make the most of that break. Enjoy the feeling. Don’t let your mind wander into anything else, just stay focused on one thing. Let your body be engrossed in your break, not books, not love, not work, just your break.

Are you pregnant? Reduce the whining and the complaining and live in the moment instead. Bask in the amazing feeling of having another being live inside you. Feel every budge, every kick, every sound and every excruciating pain. Relish everything.

Are you planning a wedding? Bask in every moment of the process. Do not allow yourself to get overwhelmed along the way. Try to enjoy every moment; plan it like it’s your last.

Living in the moment applies to basically every area in life. When you’re privileged to travel to somewhere new, meet someone, take a break, go out, explore or do something, you have to live in the moment. You have to take everything in. Love it and experience it.

Having 2,759 tabs opened in your mind will make it impossible for you to make the most of anything. Take one step at a time, and make sure you enjoy every one of them along the way.

Let’s not forget the bad phases in life, too. Live in those moments. Allow it to happen and believe it’s all part of your life’s story. Don’t avoid dealing with the bad times at all costs; instead, connect with your emotions. Feel the hurt, feel the pain and feel the grief. It will only make you stronger.

Stop trying to do or feel too many things at the same time, otherwise you will get lost in the different stages of life very easily. Don’t rush, don’t avoid, don’t ignore. Live life with everything in you, as it is a gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted. It doesn’t matter whether it’s going good or whether it’s going bad, all you have to do is live in every moment.

“Life is a collection of moments. Mindfulness is beautification of the moments.” ― Amit Ray